Posted in Casita Colibrí, Food, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged Casita Colibrí, food, food porn, home cooking, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, terrace dining on October 20, 2020| 8 Comments »
Given that the socially distanced dining on the terrace ice was broken earlier in the month, the entertaining continued with the arrival of L, my BFF since we were twelve. Kalisa — neighbor, friend, and cocinera extraordinaria – rose to the occasion and the three of us have been eating extremely well.
Lest you be concerned about the intervening dinners, the quantities were huge, doggie bags were taken back to our respective apartments, and leftovers continue to be happily consumed.
Posted in Animals, Creativity, Flora, Gardens, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged cactus, cactus fruit, colorful walls, dogs, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, plants, popular travel destinations, roof dogs, sunflowers on October 7, 2020| 6 Comments »
Walking around, I often like to make up stories about the people, places, and things I see.
These three images from last Sunday’s walk along Panorámica del Fortín, seem to beg for a tall tale or two.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Food, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged Casita Colibrí, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, food, food porn, home cooking, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, terrace dining, terrace garden on October 3, 2020| 6 Comments »
Last week, after seven months of Casita Colibrí being a visitor free zone, friends from California came to dine. Socially distanced seating was set up at the south end of the terrace.
The counter at the north end of the terraced was used as the staging area for food and drink.
We took turns selecting the fabulous fare prepared by my previously mentioned friend and neighbor, Kalisa.
Masks stayed on, except when eating, and early evening quickly turned into night as we talked and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. It had been so long!
Kalisa, the visiting couple, and I had so much fun, we did it again two nights later. And, yes, there was mezcal both nights!
Posted in Environment, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, People, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Alameda, Francisco Verástegui, Indian Laurel tree, Mexico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Fértil, photos, popular travel destinations, standing water, trees, zócalo on September 18, 2020| 12 Comments »
This morning, Oaxaca began mourning the loss of two of the Zócalo’s iconic and beloved Indian laurels. In less than 48 hours, two of these massive trees, planted between 1875 and 1885, had fallen. Unfortunately, in their untimely demise, they join several other Indian laurels shading the Zócalo and Alameda that have crashed to the ground in the past ten years.
Yellow caution tape at the entrance to the Alameda
The concern is there will be more — thus, today these public spaces have been closed to the public with yellow caution tape and police barring the entrances.
Standing water at the base of an Indian laurel tree on the Alameda.
Ostensibly, the high winds and torrential rain Oaxaca is currently experiencing caused the trees to topple. However, our stormy weather these days is only the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Tending to the hole left by the Indian laurel that fell on Sept. 15, 2020 at the southwest corner of the Zócalo.
Several years ago, as we walked through the Zócalo and Alameda, I remember listening intently as the late artist and tree historian/savior Francisco Verástegui passionately described the indignities these trees had suffered, including disruption to their root systems when, in 2005, a governor attempted to remodel the Zócalo.
Status update at the northwest corner of the Zócalo.
Thankfully, a protest movement stopped that plan, but damage had already been done. What followed, among other things, was improper pruning, inadequate irrigation, faulty drainage, and the use of unsterilized mulch leading to the growth of fungus and causing the roots to rot — all of which contributed to the trees tumbling down.
Indian laurel that fell the evening of Sept. 17, 2020 on the southeast corner of the Zócalo.
And, it’s not only the trees in the Alameda and Zócalo. The director of the civil association Oaxaca Fértil estimates that 90% of the trees in the municipality of Oaxaca have been neglected, are diseased, and run the risk of collapsing. Let us hope that more of the historic trees that contribute to the beauty of Oaxaca can be saved and cared for in the way they deserve.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged African Tulip trees, Árbol de tulipán, Flame Trees, flowers, Mexico, mountains, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Tulipán africano, views, vistas on August 17, 2020| 5 Comments »
The flowers within and mountains beyond.
“I am large; I contain multitudes.” — Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Food, Gardens, tagged Dragon fruit, flowers, fruit, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, Pitahaya, white flowers on July 24, 2020| 6 Comments »
This morning as dawn broke, a pitahaya bloomed in Oaxaca. Tipped off by my neighbor, I ran upstairs with my camera — before coffee, no less!
The eight inches across flower was definitely worth it because, alas, by late morning this beauty will have wilted. It will dry, eventually drop off, and fruit will begin to form on the section hiding behind the flower and from which it emerged.
In a few months, there will be a red luscious dragon fruit, like this one on a neighboring stalk. I miss the pitahayas that used to climb the chain link fence surrounding my terrace.
By the way, if you are confused about the difference between pitahaya and pitaya (as I used to be), this page from the Mexican government gives the most complete explanation I’ve seen. It’s worth running through a translator if you don’t read Spanish.
My entry in Cee’s Flower of the Day photo challenge.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged African Tulip trees, Árbol de tulipán, Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) challenge, Flame Trees, flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Spathodea campanulata, Tulipán africano on July 6, 2020| 17 Comments »
When the rains come and the three African Tulip trees (Spathodea campanulata, Tulipán africano, Flame trees, Flame of the Forest) in my apartment complex begin blooming, even grey days are brightened.
As the name suggests, Tulipán africano are native to Africa and I was first captivated by them in the early 1980s when I watched the PBS series, The Flame Trees of Thika, based on the Elspeth Huxley memoir about her early years in Kenya.
Beginning the late 1800s, these ornamental beauties were introduced to other parts of the world — thriving and even becoming invasive in many areas of the tropics.
Bursting with brilliance and providing food and shelter to a multitude of hummingbirds battling for territory and mates, these creations of Mother Nature always beckon me to stop, gaze, and marvel.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Churches, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged crocosmia plant, flowers, Jasmine flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, Templo San Felipe Neri, terrace garden, views, wind chimes on June 27, 2020| 2 Comments »
When the outings are few and far between and limited to walking distance, I’m appreciating the views from and around Casita Colibrí even more.
June 3, 2020 – Templo de San Felipe Neri in early morning
June 3, 2020 – Jasmine in the afternoon
June 4, 2020 – Wind chimes in the late afternoon
June 5, 2020 – Crocosmia around noon
June 5, 2020 – Looking southeast over the city in early evening
Be safe and well and look for the beauty.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Environment, Flora, Gardens, tagged bees, Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) challenge, Epiphyllum hookeri, flowers, Mexico, Night Blooming Cereus, Oaxaca, photos, plants, terrace garden on June 19, 2020| 12 Comments »
It was early morning in the garden and the clock was ticking. She isn’t called a Night Blooming Cereus for nothing.
First one approached.
It was followed by others. However, these weren’t friends and this wasn’t a party, it was seriously cereus work.
That is about as exciting as it gets at Casita Colibrí during these days of Covid-19 under the “semáforo rojo” — the red stoplight — as contrasted with orange, yellow, and the much longed for green. Stay safe!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged cactus flowers, Casita Colibrí, Cleistocactus flowers, flowers, Gymnocalycium flower, Jatropha podagrica flowers, Mexico, Monadenium flowers, Oaxaca, photos, Quaqua flowers, succulent flowers, succulents, terrace garden on June 6, 2020| 15 Comments »
Given the barrage of bad, sad, depressing, and infuriating news these days, I’m finding it difficult to string together more than a few words. However, who needs words when Mother Nature is speaking from my terrace — succulents and cactus to the rescue.
Quaqua
Monadenium
Cleistocactus
Gymnocalycium
Jatropha podagrica
Wishing all health, safety, and a bounty of beauty!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged bees, Dragon fruit, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, white flowers on June 3, 2020| 7 Comments »
Remember my Pitahaya (Dragon fruit)? In just a few years, five stalks, picked up from the field of a friend in San Martín Tilcajete in 2012 and planted in my garden, became a year-round green wall along the chain link fence that separates the terrace of Casita Colibrí from the neighboring property. Its perfumed massive white glow-in-the-dark flowers beckoned bats and bees and the resulting luscious red fruit were garden highlights.
Do you also remember that a taproot grew into the wall and down into the apartment below? Alas, the result, in the fall of 2016, was having to cut down the entire wall of Pitahaya. However, some the stalks were saved and planted along the wall adjacent to the apartment’s garbage can/recycling collection area. Lucky us, last night into early morning, the Pitahaya put on quite a show and put the bees to work!
A win win for all concerned!
Posted in Flora, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged closed signs, Conzatti, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, El Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, empty streets, flamboyantes, Jardín Conzatti, Llano Park, Mexico, Oaxaca, Parque Juarez El Llano, photos on May 11, 2020| 4 Comments »
Sunday morning’s walk found empty streets…
Looking south on Calle Macedonio Alcalá.
Looking north on Calle Macedonio Alcalá.
Closed parks…
Jardín Conzatti.
“Parque Cerrado” – Parque Juarez El Llano.
And, beauty.
Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo seen from the atrium of Templo Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
Flamboyant trees from the atrium of Templo Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
Yesterday, there were 25 new Covid-19 cases in the state of Oaxaca, including the first two in Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged Basho quote, cactus flowers, Epiphyllum hookeri, haiku, Mexico, Night Blooming Cereus, Oaxaca, photos, plants on April 21, 2020| 8 Comments »
Spring morning marvel
lovely nameless little hill
on a sea of mist
–Basho
Spring in Oaxaca brings high temperatures, dry hazy skies, the shrill sound of cicadas, and ethereal beauty of these flowers. Whether you call them by their common name, Night Blooming Cereus, or call them by their scientific name, Epiphyllum hookeri, upon waking, their twelve hours of temporal exquisiteness is a spring morning marvel.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Culture, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged coronavirus humor, COVID-19 humor, devil mask, garden decor, mascaras, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, terrace garden, wood carving on April 3, 2020| 8 Comments »
My mask is hanging by the front door, ready to be called into service when I have to run those unavoidable errands.
If nothing else, I’m hoping it will scare folks into realizing that I’m serious about physical distancing!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged agaveterrace, cactus, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, trees rainbow on January 23, 2020| 4 Comments »
I subscribe to the bumper-sticker wisdom seen many years ago, “When you live in your heart, you are always home.” However…
I’m still in el norte — but dreaming of the view from Casita Colibrí.
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